Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-11-25
Amateur Surgery.

sensations, occurring upon and after
another. that ii Is strange that some one
mas not written book on tho philoso
ply OF RACES. Why should society be
invaded at one season by an unconquer-
able desire TO 90 on roller skates, at
another to smite the base ball; now
TO flock to lectures on literature. now
10 give its mind to concerted cookery?
Like most other social phenomena ii is
probable that RACES are the result of
very complex causes acting with Il fer
ent degrees of force on different people
There must always be kernel of real
enthusiasm out of which the movement
begins to grow, and it must be supposed
that even rinking and acrostic guessing
were first invented by people who thor
oughly believed in them. This entbu
sasm 10 the fever which infects others.
predsposed in hundred WAYS by
Idloness, by the "immense ennuI' Of
modern life, by the passion OF emula-
ton, or by that exceptionally modern
invention, the desire OF simultaneously
Improving oneself and other people.
The cooking rage was a very genuine
one; 1t met all these needs and even for
The moment held up before the Ameri-
can housekeeper and her cook pros
pect OF real progress. 1t became evident
that something might be done with the
cold mutton, and that other rules might
be admitted into the kitchen than the
rule Of theft and waste. But in due
time the fashion faded away. and its
place has been taken by more serious
occupation altogether.
The present excitement in the GREAT
cities Is what IS called the ambulance
class. and for the moment the am Of
fem nine ambition is to dress the leg.
not OF slaughtered chicken. but.
of wounded man. In six lectures
You are guaranteed knowledge. if not
complete and scientific. at least enough .
for practical purposes. Of veins and
arteries, of muscles and membranes. Of
shin bones and collar bones and should
or blades, and are pat in pos ton to
deal at moments notice with any OF
these that may ace dentally 90 wronc
IN your presence. Moreover. there /,
nothing disagreeable in the experienced.
which the unhappy med cal student
has to purchas' at the price Of many
unpleasant sights and sounds. The
whole thing : done in such manner
Is TO spare the feelings. while it sharp
ms the faculties.
In London this was tried years ago,
md not wholly without success. and
aking the cue. we see that it is COM
ng into vogue both in Phi ladelphia
mi in this ct. Presently we may
ook to see it in other cities. Then I
ook out for a big fight and furry
mong the doctors
If, ant cipating the row and rumpus
mong the learned pundits of our med {
cal school, one comes 10 ask himself {
'hether there is anything in this am j
ulanco class movement. or whether il '
: merely fashion. an ofi-hand answer :
; not so easy. TO do its authors c
lstice. they do not presume to suppose '
hat thoy viii after lectures turn t
ut their students accomplished sur t
cons. able to dispense with the doc 5
or aid. They wish, as they say, to I
ontine their object to first help that
:. to such help Is will give the sufferer Q
better chance than he usually has di- Il
ectly after his accident and before he C
an be put in he Doctors hands. Ger :
iinly for this purpose some excellent b
ints are given. for Instance. that a
mple fracture may easily be turned n
ITO compound one by mcaut Gus Q
fling, and that in case Of limb K
roken in Il street accident, TO borrow n
)uple of umbrellas and three or four c
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES may have the .
scful double result of providing very p
ood temporary spl mt and dispensing 81
crowd. Everybody, too. ought to h
now how to proceed to recover the "
pparently drowned, or persons half d
lfiocated. f;
1t seems from the experiment, as far a
! it has been tried, in this city for ex- a
nple, that the greater part of the can d
dates for this kind of impromptu sur
ny are ladies. This is natural. But p'
omen jump at conclusions, and those re
no have learned their lesson by watch. IL
g few examples, are apt to think lie
at what they are studying is far fo
ore uniform than ii usually is. A jo
rgeon knows that two cases are d'
,rdly ever alike, and that what is
ally valuable is the skill which can
actly adapt the bandage 10 the
Ound whatever and wherever il may a.
CT